The effects of hypercapnia, which has been reported to impair consciousness, on the long-term potentiation of the population spike in the CA1 pyramidal cell of the hippocampus in anesthetized rats were studied. Experimental hypercapnemia was induced by inspired 13% CO2 with 21% O2. Arterial blood gas analysis after 80 min inspired 13% CO2 showed pH 7.08+/-0.05, PCO2 = 104.09+/-12.86 mmHg, PO2 = 90.71+/-18.89 mmHg, BE -4.64+/-2.97 (mean +/- SD, n = 18). Inspired 13% CO2 reduced the amplitude of the population spike to 50% of the baseline. After delivery of tetanic stimulation (400 Hz, five bursts of eight pulses, inter-burst interval 1 s) population spike height was enhanced to pre-tetanic levels. Withdrawal of inspired CO2 unmasked an increase in population spike amplitude. These findings suggest that acute retention of carbon dioxide, which is designated as pure hypercapnemia without hypoxemia, may suppress hippocampal synaptic transmission but not its plasticity.